Great Innovation for Bathroom Readers

... but I have to know: is there a MAXI version? A pity it seems to have been designed by designers for designers, and not your typical O'Reilly, Apress or Wrox reader;-)

PicoCool - Elegant Solution for Bathroom Readers

Hand Drawn Maps - Corsair

Maps have always intrigued me. As a career seafarer, my Dad always had nautical charts around the house, and drawing a map of a saxon village is one of my most distinct primary school memories.

I just stumbled upon the Hand Drawn Maps Association, which will be publishing a collection of hand drawn maps and in anticipation is running a contest for everyone to submit their own maps. In terms of esoteric deliciousness, this is certainly up there with the Cloud Appreciation Society
One of my favourite user submissions so far is David Donachie's RPG coastal map of the country of Tanaloth.

Maps also played a role in a book a recently finished listening to. Tim Severin's Corsair is the story of Hector Lynch who is taken from Ireland by slavers from the Barbary Coast and recounts his adventures to escape captivity. He helps his friend Dan, a slave from the Miskito Coast, turn his tattoo skills to map illustration for their Turkish master and take another step towards freedom. Corsair is a ripping yarn in the best swashbuckling tradition, however the details that Severin weaves into the tale provide a fascinatingly different perspective on the 17th century, one that is more centered on the North African and Islamic world in both location and outlook.

The audible.com reading is brilliantly delivered by Rupert Farley. Highly recommended.

Morning Skies in Singapore

Am I too old for Gundam slippers?

With sound effects some more!

Found in the Top Anime and Manga Gadgets Collection at walyou.com

The forgotten link between Earth, Wind & Fire and Jamiroquai?

As if you needed convincing that Earth, Wind & Fire laid the groundwork for modern funk... My latest, crazy theory is that a forgotten track "You Can Do It" in the middle of No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom is the forgotten evolutionary link! Don't believe me? Try listening to this sequence and tell me if I am wrong.. Boogie Wonderland, EW&F - classic disco funk (1979). Vocals, base and guitar come down heavy on the beat with trademark brass punctuation. You Can Do It from Tragic Kingdom , No Doubt - big trumpets, rollicking beat and wah-wah, but in comes the synth. Then, say, Love Foolosophy from A Funk Odyssey , Jamiroquai - the pinnacle of modern funk. Borrows all that is great in terms of beat, the brass and real guitar but so well produced and of course, the one thing that always makes a song .. distinctive and delicious vocal styling. Good listening, whether you can see the connection or not;-)

The grand-daddy, one more time..

Potatoes need garlic

Last time I wrote about real garlic toast. Garlic really is the wunderkind of the kitchen. Potatoes? Mmmmmm....

Web Form Design

I'm humming and hahing over some form designs at the moment. These days you have so many options, especially when you are getting smart with ajax and scriptaculous tricks. Having options is always a double-edged sword. Yes, they allow you to do amazing things. But they provide a great recipe for procrastination. .. just the situation where some thoughtful, concise guidance on leading practices from someone who knows their stuff can be a goldmine. Thankfully I stumbled upon this great presentation on web form design by Luke Wroblewksi. It's a classic, and now I see he has a book out on the topic which instantly went on my "must read" list.

l'amour de l'ail

As I found in Leon: Ingredients and Recipes garlic: you either like it, or you're completely nuts about it. Well I must be nuts. Whether it is sweet delicious nuggets in the best Bak Kuh Teh, or sliced in your favourite Thai stir fry, garlic claims its' place as one of the four essential pillars of great cuisine (along with salt, pepper and chili). One of my most memorable dining experiences was at the Stinking Rose in San Francisco (they have a great cookery book available).

But as usual, simple is best. I don't think there is anything better than fresh bread toasted with virgin olive oil, and rubbed with fresh garlic before immediate consumption. Warm, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside with the sharp pungency of fresh, raw garlic.

Mmmmmmmm....